Pilot: Differentiation tags

Differentiation tags are a new feature in Canvas, allowing instructors to organize students into non-collaborative groupings. These groupings can be used for a number of commonly expressed use cases:

Targeted assignments: Easily assign homework, quizzes or other materials to specific student tag sets using the "Assign To" feature.
Differentiated instruction: To provide personalized learning experiences, create tag sets based on learning preferences, academic needs or interests.
Accommodation tracking: Discreetly tag students who require accommodations, allowing instructors to identify and address student needs quickly.
Streamlined communication: Communicate with specific student tag sets through the Inbox without alerting the whole class.
Gradebook filtering: Filter the traditional gradebook to view and analyze the performance of specific student tag sets.

FAQ

Collapse All

What is the difference between a differentiation tag and a group?

Groups create collaborative environments for students, and membership in the group is visible to the group members. An assignment set up for groups is collaborative — a single submission gets applied to all members. In contrast, differentiation tags are private (students do not know that they are part of a particular tag), and when used for assigning content, the work is independent.

Can differentiation tags be used for announcements?

Not at this time, but they can be used to communicate directly with students via the Canvas Inbox.

Is there a limit to the number of tags I can use in my course?

Currently, there is a limit of 40 unique tags per course.

Timeline

Fall 2025 semester: Limited pilot for faculty.
Spring 2026 semester: Based on feedback from the limited pilot, general availability of differentiation tags in all courses.

Pilot expectations

Faculty selected for this pilot should be prepared to utilize differentiation tags in an active course and provide feedback to UM Academic Technology (UM AT) on the ease of use, functionality and limitations that were discovered. A brief survey will be sent directly to participants nearing the end of the pilot period.

To express interest in participating, please complete the Join a Pilot form, and a member of the UM AT team will reach out to you.